Taryn’s truck door slammed. Her dark arched brows furrowed. “Who in tarnation are you talking to?”
Evangeline sighed. Her hand fell from the statue. “Nobody.” She played it cool and searched the muddy, rain-soaked field in desperation.
Taryn stared at the statues in awe. “These things give me the bloody eebie jeebies! They look so real!”
Evangeline ignored her. She had much bigger fish to fry. “Stay here! I’m going to take a look around.”
“Evan, we’re already soaked and filthy. I don’t see any sign of Dorien or Philip. Maybe they went back to the hotel? They’re probably torked off, looking for us!”
Evangeline threw her best friend a glare of agitation.
Taryn shook her head and raised her hands in exasperated resignation. “All right, Evan, no problem! We’ll stay here. Go on! The flashlights are in the glove box. Grab two so you’ll have more light. And please, please, girl. Watch your step and don’t you dare think of slipping! If anything happens to you or these twins, I’ll never forgive myself…and neither would Dorien! He would beat my bum to a bloody pulp!”
Evangeline grabbed three flashlights and threw one to Taryn. Her best friend clicked on her light and cast her yellow glow into the rakish sculpted faces of the statues.
“Wow! Dorien never said these guys were hot!”
* * * *
Cold slices of rain pricked Evangeline’s skin like a heavy blanket of needles. Her shoes stuck like glue in the thick, soggy mud. Its moist, human-like sucking sounds made her grimace in disgust.
This had to be worse than an exploding toilet!
Every wretched step sunk her feet several inches. Exertion stole her breath. Her leg muscles felt tired and heavy. It was a miracle they resisted the urge to cramp. She groaned at the sudden loss of a designer tennis shoe, but Evangeline left it behind. There was no way she could bend over to retrieve it anyways.
The wind whooshed and howled at her in anger. Her rain soaked hair was too heavy to move. Evangeline continued slow and careful with each deliberate step. She struggled to keep her balance against the resistance of the gusts. Her lungs burned hot from pushing forward. Instinct gnawed at her gut; something was wrong. She continued on despite the cold and an ever-present fear. Nothing would stop her from searching.
A single set of sunken footprints created an awkward trail heading towards the right. Evangeline followed the path and stopped abrupt. Her flashlight danced over a goo-filled hole. Its depressed appearance reminded her of a cake with a raw, sunken middle. A single shovel lay awkward, cast aside as if thrown away in anger.
Her mind was troubled by a nagging suspicion. Something about this scenario didn’t sit well. Despite being filled, it still seemed hollow. A steady stream of water bled from its crown and flooded down the slope of the field.
Evangeline fell to her knees and buried her hands into the soft, watery mud. She felt around blind for anything inside and forced herself to reach deeper. It was hard to hold her head back. The scent of wet, gritted soil consumed her senses. Liquefied dirt squished beneath her. Not only was it plastered under her knees, but it also coated her arm to the top of her shoulder.
Something cold grabbed and held her hand firmly. The caressing stroke of cool fingers tickled against her open palm. Nothing could muffle her scream of horror. But as fast as it had found her, the presence was suddenly gone. Someone let her go.
Dorien!
The sudden release of contact made her cry out in loss. She thrust her arm back into the mud and struggled to find another sign of him. Evangeline lost her balance and slipped off her knees. With a grunt of disgust, her body made contact with the sludge on the ground. Every beat of her heart pounded loud in her ears. Rolling on her side, she scooped her hands full of mud and flung it over her shoulder. Adrenaline somehow took over. Her efforts were soon rewarded with progress. Someone’s pale hand stuck straight up out of the mire.
Her wail originated from deep within her gut. Tears blurred her vision. Evangeline removed more ooze from around the cold, exposed hand. The tips of her fingers became raw. They burned with an invisible fire. She must have broken every manicured fingernail.
With deep, anxious strokes she was able to uncover Dorien and Philip’s mud-caked faces. Grime left its smear when she swiped the mess from their faces and mouths. It was a relief to finally catch sight of the bright vivid colors of their glowing, immortal eyes. Dorien and Philip’s expressions fell in unison. Their faces contorted in terror. Both of them yelled loud, as if they were angry. Evangeline shook her head in confusion. It was impossible to understand what each of them was trying to say. The gut-wrenching sound of Dorien’s desperation kept echoing in her ears.
“Evangeline, watch out behind you!”
But she never had the chance to look back. Grabbed by her hair, Evangeline’s neck jerked back hard. Her heart pounding fast, it felt lodged in her throat. Fiery pain burned and consumed her entire scalp. She fought and kicked in vain. Someone dragged her backwards.
The agony of tight, pulled flesh made her scream. She was sure she felt the scrape of a million tiny rocks and branches tearing into the tender skin of her flesh. Her suffering reached the threshold of unbearable. Evangeline heard the fade of Dorien and Philip’s fear-filled voices. They continued to scream her name.
Evangeline’s thoughts raced fast. There was only one other person who could help her. Would her best friend even hear her voice? “Taryn! Help!” she cried as loud as her voice could carry. Her body continued to thrash. She had to get on her feet! Despite the inability to turn her neck, she was finally able to spy a glance. Evangeline gasped in horrid recognition.
Phebus!
The swipe of his mangled arm came in a blurred, unexpected swing. His open palm made contact and slapped hard against her face. Evangeline reeled backwards and slid through gushed splashes of mud. Like a turtle on its back, she landed sprawled and flat. Her large belly wouldn’t allow her to turn over.
Phebus’ stare was wide and sick with possession. Mud pressed and sucked as he stomped angrily towards her. His distorted fingers grabbed fistfuls of her hair. He seemed to delight in causing her pain and dragging her across the field.
Taryn’s voice drifted from somewhere in the darkness. She sounded like she was inching closer. Evangeline was unable to lift her head. It would be a miracle if her friend ever found her.
“Let her go! I swear if you don’t take your wretched hands off her, I’ll kill you!” Taryn spat.
Phebus let go of his vice grip on Evangeline’s hair. She tumbled to the ground and stole a glance at Phebus. Hatred glared from the evilest of eyes. The hideous man mocked Taryn’s threat and even laughed at her. Evangeline now feared for her best friend’s life.
“No, Taryn! Stop!”
Taryn froze in her tracks. Her chest heaved from exertion. It hurt to see the sting of panic and indecision plastered all over her beautiful face. Fear made her eyes large and wide. They were glazed with worry. Her friend’s tremble wasn’t from cold. Taryn lifted her hands in question. “What do you want me to do?”
“Run back to the statues!” Evangeline screamed.
Phebus slapped Evangeline again. She sputtered through the river of blood that dripped from her mouth. It was obvious he wanted to shut her up.
Taryn ran towards Evangeline again. “No! I won’t leave you!”
Evangeline’s head reeled from another vicious slap. “Please! Go to the statues! Kiss each one on the mouth…breathe deep into them. Do it now, Taryn! We will have help!”
Taryn pulled her hair in frustration. Evangeline knew her friend’s dilemma all too well. She was afraid of blind faith. The woman’s logical mind always had to grasp at reason.
“Are you out of your mind? Evan, that’s ridiculous! I’m coming after you!”
Evangeline screamed as Phebus’ fist made contact with her belly. She fell hard on her knees and choked and sputtered. Gasping for her stolen breath, she vomited in the mud.
>
Taryn reached Phebus and booted a solid kick to his hideous face. He screeched and rolled away. His hands covered his distorted features. Taryn grabbed Evangeline’s arm and tried to help her to her feet. But Evangeline wheezed for breath. It was impossible to move. Warm, sticky blood coagulated all over her face. The rancid taste of copper and vomit lingered in her mouth.
“Please, Taryn. Go wake the statues! Do as I told you! They will…help us.”
Taryn yelped aloud. Phebus’ elbow came down hard in the middle of her back. Evangeline could only watch as her friend slammed chest-down into the mud. Phebus kicked her over and grabbed her hard. Taryn’s head jerked abrupt when he propelled a solid slap across her face.
Blood filled Taryn’s mouth and trickled down her chin. Phebus’ chuckle was grotesque and cruel. It actually lingered. He left her to writhe in the mud. Evangeline felt the moment his evil gaze locked onto her. She screamed and crawled backwards in an effort to get away. But Phebus was quick to catch her.
* * * *
Taryn rolled onto her back and moaned. Her head swam in a swarm of white, blurred confusion. The salty taste of blood filled her mouth. Testing her jaw, she spit a rancid mix of mud and gore. At least the man hadn’t knocked out any teeth. She slowly turned her head from side-to-side. The gritted snaps and pops from her neck was audible.
The jerk sure knew how to hit a woman!
Voices called her name from across the field. Despite the pulsing in her neck and jaw, her head turned sharp in recognition.
Dorien and Philip!
Taryn rose from the mud and bolted across the field. She sobbed like a child. Racing as fast as her legs would allow, she headed towards the sweetest sound of their call.
Whoa! A pit!
Taryn fell on purpose and slid across the mud on her buttocks. It was a last-ditch effort to make a quick stop. Her breath of relief was in victory. She stopped only inches short of falling into the gaping, soggy hole. Two pale muddy heads appeared severed, cast away in the mud. Taryn screamed in absolute terror and fumbled backwards for her life. The throb of her heart thudded tight in her throat. She almost came unglued when the decapitated heads began to speak.
“Taryn! It is only us…Dorien and Philip!”
Okay! Calm down. No severed body parts! What were they doing in the mud?
How were they going to help Evangeline? Rescue was hopeless without them. Evangeline and the babies were going to die!
“Taryn, listen! Together we can save Evangeline and the babes. Do you remember what she said to you about the statues?” Dorien pressed.
Taryn’s whole body shook. She nodded until her head felt it would pop off her shoulders. The muscles in her neck felt like a coagulated blob of jelly.
“I know this sounds crazy, but you will understand everything in a few minutes. I need you to go to the statues and do as Evangeline told you. You must free Celeas and Paraebates from their prisons. If you don’t, Evan will face grave danger. Do you understand?”
Taryn winced. Everyone had lost their bloody minds. She wanted to forget about this ridiculous task of kissing stupid statues. The thought of it made her want to test her wits. And besides…this Celeas and Paraebates, she wouldn’t be able to tell one from the other anyway. Dorien’s authoritative tone jarred her from her thoughts.
“We have yet to lose our sanity, woman! If you must know, Celeas is taller than Paraebates. Now, go! Do it now!”
Taryn turned and scrambled towards the truck. Surely she was stuck in some freakish nightmare? Dorien’s timing had been right on cue as usual. He had miraculously answered her every thought.
She wasn’t ready to believe his lucky penchant for mind tricks was no longer a coincidence. Stopping before the statues, she prepared herself for madness. What she was about to do was blatant insanity! Could she actually go through with it? Every tear felt like scorching lava rolling down her battered face.
For Evangeline, she would do anything.
She chose the statue of Paraebates first. Dorien had been right. His likeness was a bit shorter than the other one, Celeas. But he was still tall. Climbing towards his face was almost an impossible feat. Taryn held on to his broad neck and shoulders for support. It was a struggle to pull herself close enough to reach him. But somehow she mustered the strength to do it. Taryn felt the coldness of his lips permeate her pucker the moment she softly kissed his mouth. She inhaled and released a deep breath into him before slipping down the front of his body towards the ground.
It only took a couple of steps to reach the statue of Celeas. Taryn stared up at him and shook her head in contemplation. The extra few inches she would have to reach would test her physical ability completely. Shaking off her trepidation, she climbed onto his pedestal. It was a struggle to balance her weight on his sandaled feet. Her fingers burned and fought to keep her grasp on his slick, muscled arms. Every effort to reach his mouth was in vain. She couldn’t reach him! Taryn tried to jump a little higher and even wrapped her legs tight around his hips. But the rain made the marble feel too slick. She kept sliding down the length of his body repeatedly. It was a miracle she was able to land on her feet.
Hopelessness consumed her heart. Her head fell forward in defeat. “No!” she screamed aloud into the night in misery. Because of her, Evangeline and the twins would surely die. She buried her face into her hands and wept. Something cold encompassed her hips. Taryn’s body jerked in defensive reaction.
A half-naked man with large, flexed muscles lifted her high towards the statue of Celeas. He shot her straight up into the air and balanced her feet in the bounty of his open palms. Taryn held her arms out for control of balance. She dared to look down at the one who held her with no apparent effort.
This delicious Adonis was sculpted and pale. He had a flawless, uncanny beauty like Dorien. But the pitch-like stare that held her in a trance was blacker than anything she could ever name. The color was not only haunting; it was entirely unnatural. It somehow made her think of death. She would never forget the color for the rest of her life.
“Go on, child! Kiss him now!” the man commanded.
Taryn trembled. She cupped Celeas’ face and did as she was told. Sobs escaped the back of her throat. Tension made it difficult to suck in another deep breath. But she forced in another blasted rush of air and released it onto the lips of the statue. She howled to be lowered to the ground in such a dizzying rush. Everything she had just witnessed breached the threshold of unfathomable. Fear forced every large step backward. She didn’t stop her retreat until her back pressed flush against the van.
Her head jerked in sudden realization. One of the statues was missing from its pedestal. Logic could not promise that the man who now approached her was the statue of Paraebates she saw frozen. In the blink of her eyes he stood uncomfortably close in all of his perfect, chiseled glory. She was caught off guard by his knowing, rakish grin. Taryn swore she had seen Dorien make that same exact expression at least a hundred times.
“Where is Dorien?” he demanded.
How did he know Dorien?
Taryn fought for words, but nothing audible would come out. Frantic, her French manicured finger pointed repeatedly towards the direction of the horrid pit lying far beyond the van. The man nodded once, as if he heard her every hindered word of silence. He disappeared in a hazed flash like a phantom into the night.
But what about Evangeline?
Wasn’t anyone going to save her best friend?
She felt the sudden pull of fabric. Something tugged at the bottom of her pants. Taryn froze in frenzied panic. Every instinct begged her not to look down. But it was too late. Another half- naked man kneeled at her feet! Her jaw gaped open on its own accord. The god-like man rose to his full height. Within seconds she was craning her neck just to look upon him. He cared nothing for the boundaries of her comfort zone. It was impossible to press herself any closer against the van.
The man’s physical appearance wasn’t much different from the previous one.
He was perfect and menacing in all of his muscled glory. The sight of him took her breath away. His straight raven hair hung long past his shoulders. The stare of his vivid, shiny eyes reminded her of molten, liquid silver. They glowed with a fearless, knowing mischief. In an instant he towered over her. The power of his presence forced her to lean way back. Surely every vertebra in her spine was going to snap and break.
He had to be the Devil.
She felt every bit his target when his reflective bullet stare narrowed. Taryn held her breath as he studied her with a brazen intensity. He inhaled a large breath that seemed deep enough to taste her. The man was so darn close; he consumed all of her space. Her groan was completely involuntary. The press of his body was bold against her. It was hard to decide which was more solid: the man’s chiseled chest or the vehicle parked behind her? She decided it was him.
His Greek accent was thick. “Your friend! She is…Dorien’s woman?”
Yup! She had done it! She had officially lost her flippin’ mind!
His cold hands grabbed her upper arms and gave her a firm, healthy shake. Taryn felt her teeth rattle in her skull.
“Speak, woman! Answer my question. We are almost out of time!”
Taryn’s voice broke. “Yes! Save Evangeline! She’s pregnant. That man is hurting her!”
The reflection in his eyes was like that of a wild animal. His stare was hard and intense, almost lethal enough to kill. But the grin that covered his rakish face revealed his blatant pleasure. The challenge of a hunt seemed to excite him.
Taryn feared and recoiled from him. She closed her eyes and jerked her head towards the van. A sudden rush of cold air blew over her. It was a dare to open her eyes. Like before, she was left standing alone in the rain. Both statues were now missing from their pedestals. Taryn cried out in shock. Her knees quivered like jelly. Without warning they gave out from beneath her. She landed hard on her buttocks in the mud.
Spartan Heart, Part Two Page 10